This invention relates to methods of protection against coastal erosion, and more particularly to the apparatus and method for protection against coastal erosion utilizing discarded automobile tire casings used as a barrier when positioned along a shore line.
A long recognized problem of soil erosion from earth-water interface has caused gradual erosion of thousands of miles of shore line over the past years. Various solutions have been offered to solve this problem and to prevent or, at least partially, arrest continuous erosion of earth. Some of the known solutions involve creation of artificial walls along the shore line, the walls being constructed from concrete blocks joined together to form an artificial barrier. Other solutions involve the use of discarded vehicle tires which are secured together to form layers of protective barriers to prevent further erosion. The tires are believed to be ecologically safe and, in addition to solving waste disposal problem, offer a practical inexpensive solution for constructing retaining walls, bulk heads, revetments and the like.
One of the known solutions is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,540 issued on Jan. 27, 1976 to A. G. Bruner et al for "Barrier". In that patent a plurality of tires are imbedded in a concrete block and held together by reinforcement rods, with the tires extending upright and across the concrete block.
Another solution is offered in U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,319 issued on Feb. 13, 1979 to E. C. Anderson for "Motor Vehicle Rubber Tires and Concrete Revetment", which discloses a flexible monolithic mat of tires woven together with reinforcing holding rods and concrete. The rubber tires are arranged in a horizontal plane with four tires tangent to each other.